After MPs, Uddhav calls a meeting of his party’s state legislators

Mumbai: After having summoned to his residence Matoshree all his Lok Sabha MPs amid speculation that a section of the parliamentarians may be headed to the Dy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of all his legislators on June 22, the first day of the monsoon session of the state legislature.Uddhav will address the MLAs and MLCs at the meeting scheduled to be held at Shivalay, the party’s office at Nariman Point. The Sena (UBT) has 20 MLAs and 6 MLCs in the state legislature.For the meeting of the MPs held on Sunday, only 4 of the total 9 UBT Sena MPs were present in person. The other 5, the party claimed, attended the meeting virtually.The June 22 meeting is at 4 pm and “it is requested that all members attend the meeting on time,” a party circular signed by legislators Sunil Prabhu, the party’s chief whip, and Anil Parab stated.Shinde Sena’s senior politicians fuelled speculation about the UBT Sena MPs’ shift further on Tuesday, with MLC Krupal Tumane saying their discussion with “seven” Sena (UBT) MPs as part of ‘Operation Tiger’ to get them over to their side had reached its “final stages” and Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik saying that “the doors of the Shiv Sena are open” to the Thackeray camp’s MPs and MLAs.Tumane said, “Just like when we go to a hospital for an operation, an investigation is conducted first, reports are issued and… now, only the final date for the procedure needs to be fixed with the doctor.

The operation will take place on that day... This will happen before the monsoon session... It’s not appropriate for us to share all the details. But it’s almost certain that they will join us. These discussions have been going on for a month, but today it’s in the final stages.

”Sarnaik said, “If public representatives like MPs and MLAs do not trust their leadership... if they believe in the ideals of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and are willing to trust the leadership of Eknath Shinde, then the doors of the Shiv Sena are open to them.” He added, “We will give them priority if they thought of it (anytime) in the future.”However, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut dismissed the claims. “Who is he (Krupal Tumane)? There is no such person in Maharashtra politics. Today, there are people in the Shinde faction who say anything. Who will split the party? In the last 12 years, BJP has had only this work - of splitting political parties. They have split TMC now, and before that they did the same with the NCP and Shiv Sena,” Raut said. “This (talk of MPs switching over) is a lie.

We have no such information.

Four days ago, all these MPs took part in a meeting called by Uddhav Thackerayji and expressed faith in his leadership. Some of them swore by their loved ones and pledged support to Uddhavji,” he added.Dy CM Eknath Shinde did not answer any questions posed to him on the speculation about Sena (UBT) MPs joining him.On Monday, a day after Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Deshmukh from Yavatmal-Washim skipped the meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray, Deshmukh had met Shinde Sena’s Union minister Pratap Jadhav in New Delhi.Pratap Jadhav had said that Deshmukh met him for personal work related to an educational institute and also added that the meeting had nothing to do with any defection or split.Raut had however claimed that all 9 MPs were in touch with the party and were firmly with Uddhav Thackeray.- With inputs from PTI